


fairy lights

by zeitgeistofnow



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Forts, Gen, IKEA, also like..., because like... brotp to end all brotps?, i love them, in which everyone is happy and Juno and Sasha and Mick are still great best friends and yeee, modern semi-normal AU?, so yeah., there needs to be more stuff focusing on juno and rita, they get lost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-15 22:51:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11815830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeitgeistofnow/pseuds/zeitgeistofnow
Summary: Juno has to face it. He's lost. There's no coming back from this point. But in all that he's done, he never thought it would end like this. Never thought that his doom would be to endlessly wander a place like this- an IKEA.but honestly, they're so big he probably did in the back of his mind.





	fairy lights

Juno never thought it would end like this, at sixteen, amongst the fashionable sheets and the multicolored ceramic plates and 'self- assemble' bunk beds.

He was just looking for Mick, to congratulate him on his new job- and on keeping said job for three days. Juno was just looking to do something nice for his best friend, and here he was, lost.

Juno Steel does not get lost. Juno Steel gets sick rather often, Juno Steel makes financial mistakes at cute flea markets, Juno Steel forgets about valentines day, but Juno Steel does not get lost.

And so Juno is in a state of denial when he is pulled over by the girl. 

"Hey, Mistah. You lost?"

Juno raises an eyebrow at her. She's sitting on one of the beds, but she has good posture- not the kind of good posture you get from being in a wealthy family, but by being so energetic that you can't slouch. Her cat eye glasses are crooked, and they look like she bought them at the dollar store. There are rhinestones at the tips. "No."

"Aw, c'mon. You look lost. You've been wanderin' the same part of the store over and over again. You waitin' for someone, then?"

Juno shakes his head.

"Mistah, you're  _definitely_ lost. Ooh, you ever seen that TV show? Franni was  _obsessed._ She made me watch it what, three times?"

Juno stares at the girl.

"Maybe it wasn't that many. It mighta been only two times. But I didn't really like it. The only part I liked was when the plane- hey, Mistah, come sit down." She gestures to an armchair next to the bed.

Juno sits- falls back- down onto the chair and sighs. His feet were beginning to hurt with all that walking. They never mention that in commercials. Nothing about how walking all the way through the store really starts to hurt your feet. IKEA: where all your foot pain dreams come to life.

"So, why're you here?"

"What?" Juno looks up from his feet.

"What're you looking for? A new king bed? A coffee machine? You and the beau buyin' stuff for a nursery?"

Juno half-chuckles at the idea of Peter wandering the aisles with him. "No, nothing like that. I'm not buying anything. I'm looking for a friend."

"And you got lost." The girl nods understandingly. "I'm Rita." She sticks out her hand and Juno shakes it. 

He handshake would not be good for a job interview. It's too shaky and not strong enough. It feels like a kitten trying to pull Juno's arm off. 

"Hey, Rita."

 

Half an hour later, they're two feet away from the aisle in a fort they made from various items on the shelf next to their fort. It's better than Juno thought the two of them could have made, but Juno is in AP physics, and Rita has a knack for architecture. 

Juno's quite proud of the turret. 

They've even got light- a string of Christmas lights Rita swiped from a few aisles over, and which she insists on calling fairy lights.

"Mistah Steel, you can't jus call them  _Chistmas_ lights, when there's such a more fanciful name right there! It just ain't done."

"I'll call them by their  _real name,_ Rita."

"Well, if you wanna call em' by a Christian holiday that they shouldn't even be named for, be my guest." Rita leaned back into the pillows they had taken. "But I'm gonna call them fairy lights."

Juno lies there for a second, staring at the lights. "You know what, Rita?"

"Yeah, Mistah Steel?"

"Fairy Lights does sound better."

"Obviously, Mistah Steel."

 

"So, who're you looking for?" Rita asks, later. Juno's not sure how much later. Time doesn't exist in IKEAs. 

"My friend, Mick. He just got a job here and I was coming to congratulate him."

"Mick Mercury?"

"Yeah, he's-" 

There's a blast of non-fairy light as someone lifts the top off their fort. Someone short. You can barely see their green eyes over the edge of the walls. "You guys aren't supposed to be here- Oh! Jay! Didn't think I'd see you here."

"Wasn't expecting to see you, either, Mick." Juno lifts himself up onto his elbows. 

Mick shifts. "Now, you know, this is a great fort, and your tower is like, a feat of modern architecture, and honestly these Christmas lights are great-"

"Fairy lights," Rita mutters.

Juno sighs. "But?"

"But, like, store policy says that I have to ask you to demolish this fort."

"Mick..."

"I know, I know. It's great, but Sash'll be furious if I get fired."

"She's always furious."

Mick shifts and glances away, then back at Juno. "Yeah, but she's not usually furious at me."

"I know. It'll be a refreshing change of pace."

"Aw, Jay, please. I don't wanna be fired."

Juno shrugs. "Then walk away and pretend you didn't see us."

Mick stares at Juno. His hair is a staticky mess. Then he turns and walks away.

Juno sighs. "Rita, will you go and replace the roof?"

Rita nods vigorously and her glasses slide down her nose. "Sure, Mistah Steel."

Juno sighs. "Call me Juno. It's not like you're my secretary."

 

Three hours, a fifteen-minute scolding, two ice cream cones, and a half-mile walk later, Juno swings open the door of his apartment. 

"Sasha, Peter?"

Peter glances over at Juno from the couch, grinning. "Hey, darling. How was Ikea?"

Juno and Rita walk in. Peter raises his eyebrows. 

"I got lost," Juno says. "This is Rita."

Peter puts down his magazine- Oprah- and stands up. "Hello, Rita."

Rita beams at him. 

**Author's Note:**

> EYYYY SO HOW'D YOU LIKE IT???
> 
> i haven't written enough platonic stuff and these two?? give me life???
> 
> and like Juno and his beau and sasha and mick all live together. 
> 
> plz kudos and comment and shit! thanks loves.


End file.
